“Information graphics – or infographics – are graphic
representations of information, data or knowledge
designed to present information quickly and clearly.”
Times have changed and no one wants to read an 10000 word page about different facts and statistics with graphs that are dull and nothing to keep the readers attention.
This is where infographics come in. Infographics are the new and exciting ways of displaying information to a reader. They still include all of the information that an essay about the subject would have but the difference is that they also incorporate colour, illustration, design etc. in order to make the infographic stand out and appear more appealing to readers.
Infographics are now used in a range of different ways in order to help display information
While creating an infographic there are three things to consider
- Beauty
- Utility
- Soundness
Illustrations can be added to help make a infographic stand out and appear more appealing but the most important thing to remember is that it is ALL ABOUT THE DATA, so illustrations should be used to enhance the data not overshadow it
“Illustration can help showcase and bring things to life, but there’s a
fine line between [this and] it becoming distracting.
It should be more of a supporting than a leading role. If the designer
isn’t careful, what he’s designing can become purely an illustration,
rather than an infographic.
You want the illustration to support the story that the data is telling,
rather than detract from it.”
—Robin Richards